NZ Workplace Relations Updates: Major Job Losses and Wage Strikes NZ
Read on for a summary of ER events.
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1 Nov
Big job losses coming as Govt guts Te Arawhiti – Office for Māori Crown Relations
The New Zealand Government plans significant cuts to Te Arawhiti, the Office for Māori Crown Relations, reducing its workforce by 43% and transferring key functions to Te Puni Kōkiri. Critics, including the PSA union, argue this move undermines progress on Treaty settlements and Māori-Crown relations, risking breaches of commitments under Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
FA – More unemployed, as the Māori Crown Relations Office is to be gutted by nearly 50% of its workforce.
5 Nov
Government science cuts take New Zealand even further backward
Another 60 jobs are to be cut at Environmental Science and Research (ESR).
The Government has now axed more than 500 jobs in the public science sector.
FA – more job cuts by Government
7 Nov
NZDF civilian staff escalate strike action as pay talks stagnate
About 1000 civilian Defence Force staff in New Zealand are escalating industrial action after pay talks stalled, with no offer made since July. The PSA union criticized the zero pay offer, citing rising living costs and the essential roles these workers play. Strike actions now include refusing overtime, combined breaks, and limiting certain tasks. Meanwhile, restructuring and cost-cutting measures in the Defence Force have already led to 200 voluntary redundancies with further job losses to come.
FA – more job cuts at NZDF.
11 Nov
Sistema proposes to cut 102 from its workforce, union says
Plastic container manufacturer Sistema has proposed cutting 102 jobs at its Auckland plant, reducing its workforce from 407 to 305 due to declining sales and rising costs.
FA – Declining sales and increased operating costs trigger over 100 job cuts
12 Nov
Minister using extraordinary power shows need for fair pay offer at NZDF as strike continues
NZDF civilian workers have issued another round of strike action. This action comes after civilian workers were offered a zero pay increase for the new collective. The strike action includes, work to rule, refusing overtime and callouts.
The PSA is urging Defence Minister Judith Collins to ensure the NZDF revisits pay negotiations with civilian workers after invoking a rare power to have Armed Forces personnel cover striking civilian roles, a move last used in 2001.
FA – NZDF civilian workers reject 0% wage offer. Strike continues with increasing agrevation.
18 Nov
Nurses’ union calls nationwide strike over pay dispute with Health NZ
The New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) has called a nationwide strike on December 3, citing insufficient pay offers from Health NZ and concerns over patient safety due to understaffing. Nurses are demanding pay increases aligned with inflation and the halting of plans to pause a digital staffing system crucial for maintaining safe nurse-to-patient ratios. The offer from Health NZ caps pay increases at 1% of total employee costs, equating to a 0.5% increase in the first year (starting in April 2025) and up to 1% in the second year. Nurses argue this effectively amounts to a pay cut when adjusted for inflation.
FA – ½ % in 2025 and 1% in 2026 offer to nurses has triggered a nationwide strike. Anger and frustration is increasing with more strike action likely
20 Nov
Kinleith Mill confirms around 230 job losses from paper production change
230 workers will lose their jobs at Kinleith Mill due to discontinued paper production next year.
FA – More job cuts in the private sector
26 Nov
Cardinal Logistics Workers Walking Off The Job After A Year And A Half Of Bad Faith Bargaining
Workers at Cardinal Logistics will be withdrawing their labour and picketing outside the facility.
FIRST Union has criticised the company for approaching Members to sign Individual Employment Agreements after a year and a half of negotiations and for refusing to bargain despite attending mediation.
FA – Hardcore employer intent on “union busting” with some success. Relationships between management and employees likely to be strained for years to come.
26 Nov
Zero pay offer to most teacher aides and other school support staff
The government has offered a zero percent wage increase for teacher aides and school support staff.
FA – with the result that Teacher Aids are likely to exit and seek alternative employment. With a general teacher shortage and now potentially less teacher aids schools are heading for trouble.
27 Nov
Nearly 1500 more Te Whatu Ora roles face axe, PSA says
Another 1500 jobs will be cut at Health NZ. The number of jobs now gone or proposed to go has reached 2042.
FA – the public health service seems to be heading for meltdown. Massive job cuts and no increases for those remaining.
7 Nov
Trump’s election victory and worker’s rights: the not-so-good, the bad and the ugly
Donald Trump’s second term as U.S. President could significantly impact workers’ rights, focusing on pro-business policies such as limiting union influence, reducing workplace protections, and cutting benefits for low-wage and gig workers. His previous term weakened labor protections and unions, while policies under “Project 2025” aim to deregulate further, restrict unionization, and reduce worker protections. Despite these policies, Trump gained support from some working-class voters due to perceptions of economic improvement under his leadership and his outsider political image.
FA – Only in the USA!!
14 Nov
Global trade unions are concerned about large-scale job losses in the steel industry
Global trade unions, including IndustriALL, TUAC, and industriAll Europe, are intensifying their call for state intervention to save the steel industry and its workers. They highlight overcapacity and falling global demand as byproducts of policies that have undercut fair wages and working conditions. Unions are demanding increased public investment in infrastructure, green steel, and technological innovation, emphasizing decent work conditions. They warn against austerity and advocate expansionary fiscal measures to ensure a just transition and job security.
15 Nov
Rising prices threaten wage disputes in Germany, warns union chief
German workers face increasing pressure from rising prices, leading to more wage disputes and industrial actions, including strikes in key sectors like transportation and manufacturing. Verdi union leader Frank Werneke emphasized that inflation continues to erode wages, and labor shortages are empowering workers to demand better pay. He warned against weakening strike rights and highlighted the necessity of robust negotiations to maintain stable real wages. The situation poses a challenge to Germany’s cooperative labor model, traditionally aimed at minimizing industrial conflict.
FA – Germany in trouble! Their much-vaunted union/ management co-operative model is creaking. The economy is in trouble with strikes in steel and manufacturing hampering post Covid recovery. The economic turbulence is destabilising political governance.
20 Nov
Greece Hit by General Strike as Thousands of Workers Protest Over the High Cost of Living
Workers across Greece staged a 24-hour general strike, organized by labor unions, to protest the rising cost of living and stagnant wages, coinciding with the government submitting the 2025 budget. Public transport and ferries were disrupted, with about 17,000 protesters rallying in Athens and Thessaloniki. Unions criticized the government for failing to address inflation and housing issues, demanding higher wages and stronger collective agreements. Greece has recovered from its financial crisis but still faces economic challenges, including the EU’s highest debt-to-GDP ratio.
FA – High cost of living triggers massive protests across Greece, disrupting tourists as ferries and public transport go down.
25 Nov
Amazon workers in more than 20 countries plan Black Friday strikes and protests
Amazon workers in over 20 countries plan strikes and protests from Black Friday to Cyber Monday, organized by UNI Global Union and Progressive International. The actions target Amazon’s labour practices and coincide with the year’s peak shopping weekend. This marks the fifth year of such coordinated actions, emphasizing workers’ demands for union representation and justice.
FA – The protest movement, originally only active in the USA, has now spread to Amazone in 20 other countries. The slogan remains “the rich are getting too rich and the workers are getting too little. The anti-union stance, adopted by Amazone hasn’t helped their cause.
Disclaimer: Fred A’s comments are solely his personal opinion and should not be viewed as factual or as an authoritative commentary in regard to any published article, individual and organisation.
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Image Credit/ Photo: Image by FIRST Union
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